Books are food for my soul! Pull up a beach chair and stick your toes in the sand as the Jersey surf rolls in and out, now open your book and let your imagination take you away.

Saturday, June 8, 2024

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

The Mistake by Joanne DeMaio (Book Review)

 







Book Review



The Mistake by Joanne DeMaio
Book 21: The Seaside Saga Series
Publisher: Independent Self Publishing
Publication Date: May 13, 2024
Format: Paperback - 232 pages
               Audiobook - 6 Hours 36 Minutes
               Kindle - 2199 KB
               Nook - 737 KB
ISBN:  979-8877417533
ASIN (Audiobook): B0CV1CF16N
ASIN (Kindle): B0CT4DTKD7
BNID: 2940186022640
Genre: Women's Fiction

Buy The Book:


Buy The Series: The Seaside Saga Series
Book 1: Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans 
Book 2: The Denim Blue Sea
Book 3: Beach Blues
Book 4: Beach Breeze
Book 5: The Beach Inn
Book 6: Beach Bliss
Book 7: Castaway Cottage
Book 8: Night Beach
Book 9: Little Beach Bungalow 
Book 10: Every Summer
Book 11: Salt Air Secrets 
Book 12: Stony Point Summer 
Book 13: The Beachgoers 
Book 14: Shore Road 
Book 15: The Wait 
Book 16: The Goodbye 
Book 17: The Barlows 
Book 18: The Visitor 
Book 19: Stairway To The Sea 
Book 20: The Liars 
Book 21: The Mistake 
Book 22: Miss Moonchild Starbeam



Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review.



Book Description:


From New York Times bestselling author Joanne DeMaio comes The Mistake, Book 21 of The Seaside Saga

Mistakes. Everyone in the New England beach town of Stony Point has made one. Some mistakes are as big as the blue depths of Long Island Sound. Others, as small as a speck of sand. Some mistakes make their presence known, like the call of the gulls feeding on the bluff. Then there are the mistakes that whisper like the slightly swaying marsh grasses. More than anyone, Jason Barlow is ready to admit his mistake. But is it too late?

And The Seaside Saga continues.



My Book Review:

In The Mistake, the beach friends' story continues where The Liars left off. Author Joanne DeMaio transports the reader back to the tranquil seashore town of Stony Point, Connecticut. The story takes place in early October, where our beach friends' lives are like the tides, sometimes they keep moving and changing, but they will always have the support of their friends and family. 

In The Mistake, Author Joanne DeMaio easily captivates her readers' attention with this beautifully written tale through a seamless and flowing storyline, and with a wonderful description of a tranquil beach setting that wraps itself around the reader like a sun-warmed beach towel. The characters draw you into their lives with a strong emotional pull, their complexities and flaws are true-to-life, it is easy to relate to them with compassion, empathy, and hope.

The Mistake is an intricate story of interweaving friendships and ever-changing life events. It is a wonderful story that continues to demonstrate the power of the magical sweet salt air that will cure what ails you. In this twenty-first installment in The Seaside Saga Series, the author weaves a story that focuses on Jason, and a secret about his past that he did not share with Maris. When he runs into a person from his past unexpectedly, it really threw him for a loop, and it brought back the painful memories of a difficult time in his life.  Jason didn't keep this secret to deceive Maris, but he knows that he made a mistake, and it is now time to reveal the truth about his past. After a difficult summer between Jason and Maris and their promise of no more secrets, will the secret Jason revealed be a mistake, and cause their marriage to take a step backwards? 

I loved how this installment focused on Jason, and how he dealt with the unexpected visitor from his past, and how he decided to share this traumatic secret with Maris. You can't help but feel the full gamut of emotions as Jason has an internal struggle in his decision to relive a traumatic time in his life, and share it with Maris, it will pull at your heartstrings. You just know that this isn't going to be easy for Jason to relive, or for Maris to absorb, it is the most heart wrenching conversation that had my eyes tearing up as he tells her what happened in the past. The author teases her readers with another cliffhanger ending that keeps the reader waiting to see what effect Jason's revelation will have on his and Maris' marriage. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what is revealed in Miss Moonchild Starbeam, the twenty-second installment of the series ... sigh. Here's a sneak peak, the next book focuses on Elsa's story (Miss Moonchild Starbeam), as well as continuing to share the latest in the beach friends' lives. 

In this installment in the series, the reader follows along with the beach friends' lives that are full of friendship, love, secrets, lies, mistakes, regrets, challenges, heartbreak, grief, surprises, and second chances. As you read this installment, the beach friends continue along in their life journey in Stony Point.

So now that I have whet your interest in the beach friends' latest comings and goings, drive under the railroad trestle and enter the enchanting beach town of Stony Point ... pull up a beach chair ... and visit with the close-knit longtime friends in author Joanne DeMaio's delightful novel, The Mistake.

The Seaside Saga Series is a heartwarming series of stories of friendship, family, painful secrets, lies, and regrets, new beginnings and second chances. Author Joanne DeMaio weaves a wonderful tale written in the third person narrative, which is set in the present with flashbacks to the past. The reader is transported to the tranquil seashore town of Stony Point, Connecticut, where they follow along with Celia, Maris, Eva, Matt, Jason, Kyle, Lauren, Nick, Elsa, Cliff, Mitch, and Shane as their lives change like the tide's ebb and flow on their little tranquil coastal town.




RATING: 5 STARS 

     







About The Author






Joanne DeMaio is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She enjoys writing about friendship, family, love and choices, while setting her stories in New England towns or by the sea. The Mistake is her newest novel. She is currently at work on her next novel. Joanne lives with her family in Connecticut.